(sigh) If you don't want to wind up like me....

[IrishAyes]

Do leave a house key with a very trusted friend who's relatively easy to locate on short notice. Knowing how and where burglars usually look for outdoor keys, I thought I was being smart over a year ago when I buried mine in a secluded corner of the garden, inside 2 different glass jars and wrapped first in saran wrap, then tin foil, then newspaper. Even put a big rock over the burial spot. I would've noticed if the area had ever been disturbed and was positive that key was safely awaiting the day I'd need it - which turned out to be last Wednesday.

Only the key was NOWHERE to be found. I had to dig halfway to China, and after I gave up on that, I had to break into my own house by removing a screen and finding an unlocked window. There are 21 but fortunately only 11 downstairs and I got lucky on the third. But it was still hard work for an old lady. I'm very glad the unlocked window turned out to be hidden by the lattice and shrubbery around my front porch because if the neighbors, who know me well, might've seen me and one could well be nasty enough to call the cops just for the hell of it.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Glad you made it in, but the jars, etc., where are they now?

Did you ever find them?

[pinboy3niner]

3. Now that she has broken in...

...she will soon remember that she buried the jars in the OTHER corner of the garden.

[NYC_SKP]

4. I remember locking myself out of my hotel room. Buck ass nekkid but able to break back in.

Buck naked in the patio area, locked out. 2009, I told the story on DU2:

http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9092342

[pinboy3niner]

5. You have a talent

For getting yourself into predicaments.

[IrishAyes]

19. Everything he knows, he learned from me.

[IrishAyes]

12. Nope.

And I'd stake my life that's where I buried them. As dead certain of it as anything on earth. In the first place nobody saw me bury them - I was very careful. Secondly, I garden and landscape so much that it would hardly look suspicious if anyone had seen me.

[NV Whino]

2. I recommend a lock box

About $25 at hardware stores or locksmiths. Attach it somewhere that gets light because you will always need it when it is pitch black and you can't read the combination.

I take care of several houses and have them at all my houses. It saves me a trip in the dead of night when the owner arrives and learns he has forgotten his key.

[IrishAyes]

11. Hadn't thought of that - thanks.

Probably will do so. It's silly to go to too much trouble with locks around here because burglaries are very rare, and if somebody wanted in the house however, they'd just break the window. The main problems come for responsible if forgetful owners who don't want to add damage to their pain. I lock the door more as a matter of formality than anything else. Most people don't even bother. In almost 9 years here, I've only read about 2 burglaries and they were of businesses with attractive drugs such as a vet's office. That one was extra sad because it was the vet's grandson. Didn't do him any good, though. Judge threw the book at him because he had a long record of various scrapes with the law. Bad street drugs flow like water here, and the fact that there's almost no other crime attached makes me pretty sure the police are in on it. They don't want to provoke citizen complaints or federal interest. I suppose most of their customers make their $ to buy by dealing too.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

6. My security cameras and dogs are a good deterrant for burglars, but I do have a spare

located in my backyard somewhere no one would think to look. You don't have to go through the trouble of burying it. Duct taped underneath a grill or trash can, under a pet food bowl, inside a bag of fertilizer, charcoal, etc. There are lots of possibilities.

[IrishAyes]

8. Speaking of dogs,

until my 16-yr-old chows died, I fastened a key to their collars. With such heavy coats nobody could see it, and nobody was going to bother them anyway!

Two short coated dogs now, though.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Last time I tried to hide a key I ended up trying to open the door with a suppository. nt

[IrishAyes]

9. Did it work?

[pinboy3niner]

10. Worked great...

...except for the door opening ass-backwards.

[840high]

24. LOL

[NJCher]

13. happened to me, too

I had to crawl through the kitty door. Wasn't easy. I'm not that skinny. The fun part was watching the cats look at me as I came through their door. It was inch by inch. They acted like it was the most interesting thing to ever happen to them.


Cher

[3catwoman3]

15. Either you are THAT skinny, or...

...you have a big damn cat door. Do they come in different sizes? All the ones I have seen are pretty small.

I would have loved to have watched your cats watching you.

[pinboy3niner]

14. Keeping a spare house key and car key in wallet or purse is a good idea

It spared me some embarrassment and expense a couple of times when I locked my keys in my car.

[IrishAyes]

16. At least I've learned long ago to either carry a tiny wrist strap 'purselet' or

something small like a multi-pocket camera case and long enough strap I can sling it across my body. I'm bad to go off and leave things, especially a regular purse which I don't like anyway. Just around town, what do I need one for?

[mnhtnbb]

17. We have a spare key in one of those metal magnetized boxes. It's hidden,

but easily accessible.

Never had to use it, so far.

[mackerel]

18. I can't seem to keep a key hidden for very long 'round here.

I went to retrieve the spare under the most perfect rock and it wasn't there. Turns out my son lost his for the umpteenth time and used the spare and didn't put it back for the umpteenth time.

[panader0]

20. A few years ago me and some friends were doing a job in San Diego.

Our boss gave us some real nice buds, medical stuff. We learned we would have two weeks layoff, so we would have to go back to Az.
So we buried the unsmoked remains in the motel rose garden (La Mesa). We knew we would be staying at the same place when we returned. Well, it was gone. The nice Indian lady who ran the place came to our rooms and said "No more smoking!" Heh heh.

[IrishAyes]

22. Rats - foiled again!

[Xyzse]

21. Ummm, don't tell any one, but I can get in my locked front door without a key.

I have a credit card...

[IrishAyes]

23. Never even thought of that.

But - God forbid! - if I ever face that situation again, I'll try that before another window episode.

[alarimer]

25. I locked myself out of my parent's house in winter.

It was not a cold day. There was some snow, but the driveway was dry so I wore my slippers. I forgot that when they left for work, they locked the front door. I opened it, went outside to get the paper and shut the door behind me. Oops. Garage was shut; there was still snow on the ground and I was wearing slippers so I didn't walk around to see if a window was unlocked.

I ended up walking to a neighbor's and calling my dad. But I felt dumb.